New World Coming
by Jasper Olivier Rodriguez
Summary: Gemma Ricci lives in Queens, New York, with her mother and her brothers. A freshman in high school, she's doing her best to be as normal as possible. But pretending to be normal is hard when you're an Inhuman. An Inhuman who's gained a growing reputation along with a mysterious hero with spider powers. Set before CA:CW; focuses mostly on Peter and other OCs. A Peter/OC story.
1. Chapter 1

_There's a new world comin'. and it's just around the bend._  
 _There's a new world comin', this one's comin' to an end._  
 _There's a new voice callin', you can hear it if you try._  
 _And it's growin' stronger with each day that passes by._  
 _There's a brand new mornin', rising clear and sweet and free._

-New World Coming; **by Mama Cass Elliot**

* * *

The day Gemma Ricci found out her parents were getting a divorce, it felt as if her world had been torn apart. She had a feeling, deep down, that a divorce would one day happen, but she wasn't expecting it so soon. Gemma's mother, Izabela, had tried her best to keep her marriage together for the sake of her children — Izabela had mentioned on _multiple_ occasions, for as long as Gemma could remember, how she grew up in a broken family and didn't want that for her kids — but it just couldn't happen.

Leonard Ricci, Gemma's father, had been unfaithful and uninterested in the marriage, in his family. Despite Izabela's best attempts to make things work, Leonard had his focus on other things; his mistress, his job, going out with friends — anywhere but home with his wife and kids.

As the years went on and Gemma came to understand what her father was doing, she came to resent him. It was obvious he didn't care about anyone but himself. _Maybe_ he cared about his family once upon a time, but he just couldn't do it anymore. And Gemma couldn't understand how he could so effortlessly toss them aside for someone else, for an "easier" life.

The divorce had been an unexpectedly expected surprise. Gemma knew it'd happen one day, but she didn't think it'd happen when she was so close to starting her freshman year in high school.

And she _really_ didn't expect her mother, herself, and her brothers having to be forced out of their old home and being told to go buy a new one. As if something like that could be done so easily.

 _ **0-0-0-0**_

About three and a half months after moving to Queens, Gemma, her mother, and her brothers finally settled into their new apartment. It was obviously different compared to their old home, but it would have to do until Izabela could find a job good enough to afford a home. Izabela had some friends in Queens who managed to pull some strings and land her two jobs, though they weren't the best paying jobs around. Gemma's eldest brother, Remy, managed to land a job as a bartender in order to help out, though Izabela was anxious to have him do anything like that; she wasn't one who really liked depending on other people for their help, she could be stubborn sometimes and it usually made it difficult to be around her.

Gemma, on the other hand, was underage, so she couldn't legally get a job yet. Neither could her two other older brothers. In the meantime, she'd have to handle officially starting her new school, some science and technology school. Gemma had hopes of going into a career involving programming, and Izabela suggested that one. While it wouldn't have been Gemma's _first_ choice, it seemed like a relatively decent school from what she could tell.

"Isn't this exciting?" Izabela exclaimed, throwing a smile her daughter's way. "You'll be going to a new school, making new friends — how'd you feel?"

Shrugging, Gemma nestled herself further into the passenger's seat. It was her first day of school, and she wasn't exactly thrilled or nervous.

"Don't be such a _downer_ , Gem," Izabela groaned. "This'll be a new beginning for you. Isn't that a good thing?"

"I wouldn't have minded going to school back home," she muttered, scowling slightly.

With a sigh, Gemma's mother's entire demeanor changed. It was true; Gemma missed her old life, her old friends. Izabela did, too. The divorce had been difficult for _her_ just as it had been for her children. Having to find out her ex-husband was having an affair wasn't easy to swallow, then finding out that he was going to leave them for the mistress had been even worse. Izabela filed for divorce to make the idea of Leonard leaving less painful for the kids. Though she knew they were smarter than she wanted to believe.

"Look, I understand you'd rather be back home," Izabela muttered. "I would give _anything_ to be back home, too. I'm sure your brothers are thinking the same way. But...we just can't. I wanted us to have a chance to start over, to put all of _that_ behind us. Do you understand? I didn't want to upset you guys."

"I'm not mad at _you_ ," Gemma exclaimed, her scowl deepening, "I'm mad at dad, at his stupid new wife, at _everything_! If dad hadn't been such a _dick_ , maybe things would've been better."

"Well, you're not wrong." Izabela shrugged somewhat nonchalantly. "Your father was a bit of a prick. I just wish I had done something sooner." Looking over at her daughter, Izabela felt her face fall a little. She could tell that her only daughter was still struggling with everything that happened. Remy and the other boys seemed to have adjusted relatively well to the apartment, to living in Queens. Remy had his job and some new friends; Titus, the second eldest, seemed to be doing fairly well, having made a few friends himself; and Jai, who was just a year and a half older than Gemma, was doing just as well. Gemma always had problems adapting to change, she liked having things the way they were, the way she was _used_ to them being. Anything that was different or foreign to her in any way was greeted with hostility and uncertainty. "Please try to make this work," Izabela sighed. "I'm doing this for you, Gem. I want you to do well here."

"I'm not making any promises," she muttered.

"And I can't afford to have anything go wrong."

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

Midtown School of Science and Technology. It was a really nice looking school. Gemma almost couldn't believe she'd be attending it. A nauseating roll of anxiousness wrecked havoc in her stomach, making her freeze in her seat in her mother's car. Why was she so nervous? It wasn't like her to freeze up all of a sudden.

"Is something wrong?" Izabela asked.

"No, I'm fine," Gemma replied, trying to keep her tone even. What if she did something stupid and humiliated herself? None of the other students would let her live it down. What if she didn't make any friends? All her brothers managed to make friends! She would _hate_ herself to no end if she had to go friendless in high school. But what if she got bad teachers? How would she be able to handle that? The anxiousness settled even deeper in her stomach.

"Did you want to go home?"

"I said I'm fine." Grabbing her backpack, Gemma looked at her mother for a minute. The idea of going back home sounded nice, but she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid going to school forever. "I'll see you after school," she replied, hoping her voice didn't give away how nervous he was.

"Remy may be picking you up, OK?" Izabela said. "My boss may have me covering someone's shift."

Waving it off, Gemma muttered a "that's fine".

Giving a small smile, Izabela nodded. "Be safe," she said. "Have a nice day."

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **How'd you like this chapter? Was it good? Was it bad? Was it meh? Constructive criticism is always welcome! Also, I am currently doing summer classes at my community college, so I'll be busy with schoolwork plus my job. I'm only working parttime, but my hours have increased since, ya know, it's summertime. Because of all this, any chances of my updating new chapters may not be as frequent.**

 **I own nothing in the MARVEL universe.**

 **Even though this story is under a CAPTAIN AMERICA category, it'll be mostly focusing on Peter, my OCs, any characters that were in SPIDER MAN: HOMECOMING _(which is an amazing movie, by the way)_ , and any other OCs that are added to the story. I'm writing the story before CIVIL WAR happens, so it'll probably be a while before I write that in. I'm also thinking of having HOMECOMING serve as a kind of sequel to this story, once the new SPIDEY movie is on DVD. How does that sound? Did any of that make any sense?**

 **Before I forget, if anything — and I mean** _ **anything**_ **— that I write comes off as weird, confusing, or unclear, don't hesitate to let me know! I will clear it up to the best of my ability.**

 **That's about it!**

 **Let me know if there's anything I should improve on.**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	2. Chapter 2

_It's time to begin, isn't it?_  
 _I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit_  
 _I'm just the same as I was_  
 _Now don't you understand_  
 _I'm never changing who I am_

-It's Time; **by Imagine Dragons**

* * *

Gemma found herself standing at the front steps of the school, feeling even _more_ anxious than ever. She felt her throat closing up, her heart beating almost painfully in her chest. At that point, Gemma knew her mother had left, so changing her mind was completely out of the question. All the other students were going in and out of the building, some of them throwing looks Gemma's way. A few stood around the steps and by the front doors, clustered and talking, and that made Gemma's stomach knot up to the point to where she felt she might vomit. Was she really _that_ bothered at the idea of being the new kid? She'd never been the new kid before, she never had a reason to move before her parents separated.

A slight scowl came on her face at the thought. If her father hadn't been so selfish, then things would've been better. Everyone would be happier.

Giving her head a slight shake, Gemma took a deep breath, hoping to calm herself down. She couldn't afford to get herself all worked up! Letting out the breath, she forced herself inside.

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

In all honesty, the inside of the school was a _little_ more than what Gemma would've expected. It was certainly bigger than the high school at her old home, and it seemed to have a lot more than what her old school had to offer. Compared to the high school Gemma was _supposed_ to go to, Midtown was some kind of mansion.

Chewing on her bottom lip, Gemma slung her backpack off her shoulders and unzipped it, hoping she'd be able to find her schedule. Once she had it out — after struggling to find it for a few minutes — Gemma swallowed thickly and started looking at her classes. Her first was biology. She had no idea where her biology class was. Midtown was obviously a big school, and that meant she'd be wasting her time looking around for her class; and it looked like she didn't have much time to do a quick look-around either. Considering no one was really going out of their way to help her — and she wasn't really going out of her way to interact with anyone — that meant she was more than likely on her own.

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

It was just a couple minutes before class, and Peter had been by his locker talking to his friend, Ned. They had been talking about Star Wars, Ned buying a Star Wars Lego set so they could build the Death Star. It had been something they'd been pretty excited for, being able to build the Death Star.

Once Peter closed his locker, he was about to walk to first period with Ned, hoping to get there before the bell rang, but he paused for a moment as he walked by another hallway. There was a young girl, one Peter hadn't seen before, trying to sidestep a boy who was obviously making her uncomfortable. Peter recognized the boy as one of Flash's friends. Shifting anxiously on his feet, Peter considered going over there to help her.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Ned, who'd gone about a foot ahead of him on their way to class before noticing Peter wasn't following, walked back to see what caught his attention. "Who's that?"

"I don't know," Peter murmured. "But I think she's in trouble."

Ned gave Peter a look. "What're going to do?" he asked. "That's Ty, one of Flash's friends. Do you know what he'll do to you?"

Nodding, Peter took a deep breath and let it out. "I know," he replied, trying to sound confident. "But she's in trouble, Ned. I can't just let him keep bothering her."

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

"Can't you just let me pass?" Gemma asked. She managed to get herself lost before she even got a chance to really start looking. The school had so many hallways that she got overwhelmed and couldn't keep track of where she was going. A few of the other students had been at least generous enough to give her somewhat vague instructions on where her biology class would be, but Gemma managed to mix up some of the instructions before she got very far. Unfortunately, none of them were really willing to go out of their way to physically show her where the class would be.

After turning down another hallway, though, Gemma had the misfortune of running into a male student who took an interest in her too quickly for her liking. He was blocking her way, refusing to let her go, despite her asking.

"Why would I do that?" The kid smirked. "I've never seen you around here before, and you're not too bad looking. How about we go out sometime?"

"I'm not interested."

A scowl came on his face. "What'd you just say?" he exclaimed.

"I said I'm not interested." When she tried walking around him, he grabbed her forearm to keep her from going any further. Before anything else could be spoken, someone else came up and grabbed Gemma's other forearm. He was smaller than the one hassling Gemma, and he was relatively skinnier compared to the other, too.

"Hey, why don't you leave her alone?" the skinnier boy said, his voice a bit higher in tone; almost as if he were frightened.

"What was that, Parker? Did you say something?"

Yanking her arm out of her hassler's grip, Gemma gave him a heated glare. Linking her arm with the one who came to help her, she hurriedly had them leave the scene, but they felt the glare of the other boy on their backs. Once they were at the end of the hall, where an overweight boy was standing, Gemma took the opportunity to look at the Parker kid. "Thanks for helping me," Gemma said. "I didn't think anyone was noticing."

Shrugging, he gave her a small, sheepish smile. "I-It's fine," he murmured.

"So your name's Parker?" Gemma asked.

"No!" he nearly squeaked. "It's Peter...Parker."

Arching a brow slightly at him, Gemma nodded. "I'm Gemma," she responded.

"I'm Ned!" the overweight kid exclaimed. "I'm Peter's friend."

With a nod, Gemma tried for a smile. "Would either of you mind showing me where the biology class is?" she asked. Right as she finished her question the bell rang. Letting out a defeated sigh, she shook her head. "Never mind," she muttered.

"I'll show you," Peter offered. "Ned, why don't you get to class? I'll probably be a little late."

"You sure?" With a single nod from his friend, Ned walked off.

"So you're a freshman?" Peter asked, taking Gemma's schedule from her hands. When she nodded, he gave a small smile. "I'm a sophomore." When he looked at her schedule, he grimaced a little. "You've got _Menendez_ for bio?"

"Is that bad?" Gemma asked.

Peter nodded her in the direction of where they'd be walking. "Uhm, she's really strict," he responded, shrugging a little. "I had her last year. Not really popular."

With a nod, Gemma let out a thoughtful hum. If only she managed to run into Peter beforehand, maybe things would've been a lot easier.*

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Sorry for the delay on the chapter, but here it is! If you could look beyond the sloppiness of it, I'd really appreciate it. No, don't do that. If you found something that was weird about this chapter, let me know. I'm just an exhausted mess right now, so any help from you guys would be awesome. Am I getting Peter or Ned wrong in any way? Let me know! You want more detail on the OCs in the story? Just wait, I swear you'll get more detail on them.**

 **MARVEL isn't mine.***

 **At this point in the story, despite it being so early, Peter doesn't have his spidey powers and Gemma is still an ordinary human for the time being. If you read the story summary, you'd know that Gemma's an Inhuman. But she hasn't had her powers activated yet. So she's still "human". I digress.**

 **Let me know if there's anything I should improve on.**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	3. Chapter 3

_There's a lot of pretty, pretty ones_  
 _That want to get you high_  
 _But all the pretty, pretty ones_  
 _Will leave you low and blow your mind_

-The Dope Show; **by Marilyn Manson**

* * *

Peter proved to be very patient and kind to Gemma. She was very grateful to have met him, though she wondered if he would ever consider the possibility of being her friend. It'd be unfortunate if he was only being nice to her because she was the new kid. She let out a frustrated sigh at that.

"Is something wrong?" Peter asked.

Looking over at him, she shook her head. "I'm fine," she responded. "This school's pretty big, though."

Letting out a nervous laugh, he nodded. "It's easy to get lost." There was a heavy silence as they continued walking. The two of them had gone up a flight of stairs and were making their way down what seemed to be an _extremely_ long hallway. Gemma looked at the closed and partially opened classroom doors, hearing the voices of the teachers and some of the students inside, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. Would her teacher make her introduce herself in front of the class? God, she hoped not. That was the _last_ thing she wanted to do.

"How long have you lived in Queens?" Gemma asked, keeping her voice low.

"Since I was little," Peter responded, his voice cracking a little. "I live with my aunt."

"What's it like here?"

They stopped for a moment in front of a classroom, the second to last near the end of the hall. Peter looked like he was thinking deeply on the topic before his face brightened a little. "How about I show you around after school?" he offered. The question itself caught Gemma off guard, she hadn't expected him to be so enthusiastic at the thought of showing her around. Though she had to admit, she appreciated Peter's generosity.

"Y-Yeah, that's fine," she stammered. "Are you sure that's OK, though? If you're busy, I don't want to hold you up or anything."

Brushing it off, Peter shook his head. "I don't have anything planned, trust me," he said, shifting anxiously on his feet. Gemma _swore_ she saw a light blush on his face. "But I-I'll meet you after class. At the front of the school?"

"That's fine," Gemma confirmed, nodding slightly. She looked at the closed door of the class, taking a deep breath. "This is Menendez?"

Peter nodded. "If I were you, I'd come up with a good excuse," he murmured, leaning in a little. "She doesn't like it when people come in late."

"Thanks." Despite the amount of uncertainty and anxiety that washed over her, Gemma forced her hand on the doorknob and turned it. Peter had, at that point, started walking off in the direction of his first class. Gemma partially felt bad for making him late, but she was grateful he was willing to lend her a hand. But when that door opened, and all those eyes went on Gemma, she felt the guilt and thankfulness she had for Peter quickly wash away.

"Oh," a woman, obviously Ms. Menendez, said, her voice clipped. "You must be Gemma Ricci. Why don't you come up here and introduce yourself."

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

 _Come up and introduce yourself_ — the one statement Gemma dreaded the most. She didn't _want_ to introduce herself. There was nothing about herself worth sharing! But with the look on Menendez's face, Gemma knew there'd be no getting out of it. So, with a slight nod, Gemma forced herself to walk into the class and close the door. She felt her knees trembling and her heart beating painfully in her chest. The closer she got to the front of the class, the more out of breath she felt. Had she been breathing that shallow before? She felt her cheeks burning, which made her feel even worse.

Menendez's cold gray eyes were watching Gemma's movements like a hawk, expecting her to do something unruly. By the time Gemma reached the front of the class, there was a long, heavy, _deafening_ silence before the teacher spoke. "Class, I'd like you to meet our new student," she said, her voice still clipped. "Tell us a little bit about yourself."

That was when Gemma felt the room start spinning. What would be the right thing to say? If she said too much, she may sound like an idiot — someone who's looking for attention. If she didn't say enough, then people would think she's weird regardless.

"Uh, I, uh," she stammered. "I'm from Syracuse. Uhm...I've never been to Queens before."

"Is there anything else you'd like to add?" Menendez asked. When Gemma shook her head, the teacher nodded. "As a warning to you, Ms. Ricci, I don't appreciate tardiness in my class, understand?" Gemma, again, nodded. "I'll let this serve as your _only_ warning, considering you're new. Come in late again, and I'll have you sent to detention."

With that, Gemma hurriedly made her way to the first empty desk she could find.

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

Fiddling with her pencil, Gemma tried keeping herself as focused on the lesson as possible. Considering how Menendez was, and from Peter's warning, Gemma wanted to make a good first impression — even if coming to class late ruined that for her — but she found it impossible to keep her attention on the lesson. For some reason, her mind was going a mile a minute. Actually sitting in a class, listening to the teacher give a lesson that probably wouldn't have been so easily taught at any other high school, made Gemma feel overwhelmed. Her earlier attitude of not really caring or trying to act like she didn't care faded away faster than she cared to admit.

When her pencil fell from her fingers and landed on her notebook, Gemma's lips pursed a little. Peering up to look at the teacher, she could see that Menendez hadn't focused on her for most of the period. Relief had washed over Gemma. She had to wonder if Menendez was giving her a break from the embarrassment of introducing herself and coming in late. Or maybe it was because Gemma wasn't entirely familiar with the material yet. She didn't know and part of her didn't care. If she were to be lucky, she'd be able to find someone who'd be willing to tutor her so she could really understand what was being taught.

The feeling of a poke at Gemma's side made her jump a little in her seat. Thankfully Menendez hadn't noticed, but it made Gemma glare at the girl sitting in the desk next to her. The girl was a petite redhead with a small smile on her face. She kept glancing over at Gemma, and the smile grew a little when she noticed she had Gemma's attention.

"You don't look very interested," the girl whispered, leaning over a little so Gemma could hear her better. With a shrug as the girl's only form of response, she chuckled. "First day of class and you've already lost focus? Must be some kind of record."

"Why're you talking to me?"

"Thought I'd be friendly. I'm Ines Keller."

"Gemma."

"Girls, is there something you'd like to share with the class?" Menendez's voice snapped the girls out of their whispered conversation. A blush came to Gemma's face at being caught; she desperately hoped she didn't get in trouble.

"No," Ines responded, "I was just asking Gemma a question."

Menendez's eyes narrowed slightly. "Next time you have a question, raise your hand," she instructed, clasping her hands behind her back. "Considering today is Gemma's _first_ day, I wouldn't want to have her feel pressured in any way." Without waiting for a response, Menendez continued where she left off. There were a few whispers here and there, and that made Gemma's blush deepen. Ines and Gemma didn't say anything for the remainder of class.

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

"You're from Syracuse, huh?" Ines asked. Once the bell rang for the end of class, Gemma was quick to get out. She could feel the teacher's eyes on her the whole time, and it made her feel unnerved. When Gemma nodded, Ines nodded. "My dad's from there," she responded. "He loved it there growing up, but his job had him relocate here."

"This is my first time anywhere outside of Syracuse," Gemma responded. "I was kind of surprised my mom chose Queens out of all places to live."

"Is it _just_ your mom and you?" The girls walked down another hallway on their way to their second period, Spanish. Thankfully, Ines was more knowledgeable on the school's layout than Gemma was, which meant, considering she didn't have Peter as her tour guide, Ines would have to do.

Gemma felt her heart drop at the question. Obviously the only reason it was being asked was out of curiosity, but she also knew that Ines didn't know the _whole_ story behind why the question made her feel so uncomfortable. In that moment, she could keep the answer as vague as she'd like. "I live with my brothers and mom." See?* Not bad.

Nodding, Ines shrugged the straps of her backpack higher on her shoulders. "Understandable," she responded. "Not long after we moved here, my mom died of lung cancer. She smoked more than a chimney. It's been my dad and I for a while."

"I'm sorry," Gemma said.

"It's fine. I knew it'd happen one day, I just didn't think it would happen so soon, ya know?" Ines shook her head. "I heard the Spanish teacher's actually pretty cool. I've got some upperclassmen friends here, so we shouldn't have to worry."

"We?"* Gemma looked at Ines curiously.

"Yeah," she responded. "We're the freshmen, the bottom of the totem pole. We gotta stick together."

 _'Did I just make an actual friend?'_ The thought rang through Gemma's mind for a moment before she responded with a simple nod. With a smile of her own, Ines went on to continue talking. Gemma listened intently, hoping to understand more of the redhead beside her. Despite biology's scare for her, it seemed Gemma's day may have turned out a little better than expected.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Guys, this chapter is _AWFUL_! God, I am so sorry about that! I may be a little hard on myself, but I had a steady pace going, but then I don't know what happened! I guess I lost where I intended to go with this chapter. Just let me know what you think, OK? Constructive criticism is always welcome.**

 **Sadly, I own nothing in MARVEL.**

 **So, question time for you reviewers: I have an idea on how Gemma could unlock her Inhuman powers, but how do you, the reviewers, want to see it happen? I'm letting you guys throw out your suggestions and ideas here!* Let me know what you think in the reviews or maybe just PM me your ideas.**

 **I'll say that's about it for now.**

 **Let me know if there's anything I should improve on.**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	4. Chapter 4

_I see the magazines working that Photoshop_  
 _We know that shit ain't real_  
 _Come on now, make it stop_  
 _If you got beauty beauty just raise 'em up_  
 _'Cause every inch of you is perfect_  
 _From the bottom to the top_

-All About That Bass; **by Meghan Trainor**

* * *

The remainder of Gemma's day went on relatively well. She had to admit, though, she would've smacked herself over being so anxious earlier and for acting so snarky with her mother, as well. As it would turn out, Gemma's other teachers were seemingly nice, giving her a chance to _really_ understand the topics before diving too deeply into them. Unlike her biology teacher, Gemma's other teachers gave her the option of introducing herself to the class. It was refreshing, having that kind of option.

Sadly, for Gemma at least, she was a bit bummed out after finding out that Ines had completely different classes from her after Spanish. Ines was nice enough, though, to help Gemma get to her third period and gave her detailed directions on how to get to her remaining classes. Gemma was extremely thankful for that.

By the time the last bell rang and school was officially over, Gemma had her things put away and was already out the classroom door behind all her other classmates. She felt a lot lighter, having experienced her first official day at Midtown. There was still an air of uncertainty that Gemma had for it, but she knew she'd get a hang of everything as the school year progressed. She already had one friend, and maybe hanging out with Peter after class would bump it up to two. That was when it clicked — Gemma was going to hang out with Peter after school and she hadn't told her mother _or_ Remy. Cursing slightly under her breath, Gemma dug through her pocket and pulled her cell phone out. Dialing her eldest brother's number, she waited anxiously for him to answer.

 _"Hey, Gemstone, what's up?"_ Remy exclaimed. _"I was just about to call you!"_

"Rem, I was going to let you know I was gonna hang out with someone after school today," Gemma said.

 _"Really?"_ There was a happiness in Remy's tone; but once he found out that someone was a boy, Gemma knew he'd be on her like a hawk. Remy was _extremely_ protective of his baby sister, and had grown protective of his mother since the divorce. Remy wanted the best for his sister and especially their mother. After finding out about their father's infidelity, things had definitely changed. But in regards to Gemma, Remy wanted her staying as far away from boys as possible. Gemma was completely aware of what would happen if he found out she was hanging out with boys, and it wasn't good _at all_. _"You're already making friends?"_ he exclaimed. _"What's their name?"_

"Uh...his name's Peter."

There was a slight pause before Remy spoke again. _" His?"_ he said, his voice low. _"You're hanging around boys, Gemma?"_

"He showed me to my first class and offered to show me around the area," she exclaimed, hoping to stop the conversation from getting too out of control. "He seems nice."

 _"You know how I feel about you being around boys,"_ he exclaimed. _" Especially boys your age! You never know what their intentions are."_

"Remy, if you'd listen..."

 _"No, I am not letting you go out with this kid!"_ The tone of Remy's voice made Gemma's blood boil. It was almost like Remy was trying to act fatherly to her. She _hated_ that. She understood he meant well, but he could get so overprotective, so _paternal_ , that it drove her crazy. With their actual father no longer in the picture, the _last_ thing Gemma wanted was for Remy to go and act as if he could dictate what went on in the household.

"OK, first off, you're not dad, Remy," she hissed, "so don't go acting as if you can tell everyone else what they're supposed to do! I understand you've got a lot going on with your job and mom working, but I'm pretty sure me getting a tour of the area with _one_ _boy_ isn't going to kill anyone. I don't need your permission for this."

There was a long pause, such a long one that Gemma was nearly convinced that Remy had hung up. Part of her wouldn't have been surprised if he had. Sometimes he could get so hyped up on his moods to create order, that he wouldn't listen to anyone else.

 _"You really think this kid's good news? Fine. But the second he tries something on you, don't say I didn't warn you."_

Hanging up her phone, Gemma let out a frustrated groan. Not even a second after hanging up with her brother, one of the front doors of the school swung open and a kid barged in, his eyes wide with excitement and what looked like disbelief.

"Fight!" he shouted. That one simple word got any remaining student in the building running outside to see what was going on. Gemma hurried out, too, trying not to get trampled by the others. An already large circle of students gathered a couple feet from the front steps; the students shouting and hooting, throwing their arms up in excitement. Back in Syracuse, at least in the school Gemma went to, there had been a good amount of fighting between some students. Gemma had to admit that she'd participated in at least one of them, but the threat of being expelled and some scolding from her mother helped Gemma change her attitude some. By the time she finished middle school, she had completely gotten any excess energy out of her system, so any thoughts she had on fighting or getting in trouble all but dissipated.

Shoving her way through the crowds of students, Gemma finally managed to make her way to the front end of the fight, where she saw the boy who'd hassled her earlier punching Peter in the face. Peter already looked like he'd taken a bit of a beating already, since Gemma could see bruises already forming on his face and some cuts, as well. Seeing him look that way, seeing him stumble every time the bully shoved or punched him, sent a knife of anger and fear through Gemma. Peter hadn't done a single thing wrong, yet he was being beaten mercilessly by someone who obviously had the upper-hand. Pursing her lips, Gemma dropped her backpack from her shoulders and ran in, shoving Peter behind her right as the bully was about to punch again. The assailant didn't seem to notice right away someone else had gotten involved before his fist was just inches from Gemma's face.

The punch was exactly what Gemma thought it would feel like. It hurt like hell and knocked her off her feet. Gemma's head exploded in pain as her hand immediately went up to touch the area that had been hit. It stung and burned, making her hand flinch away. Peter immediately dropped down to look at her, his eyes wide with fear. Blinking a few times, Gemma looked up at Peter — one of his eyes was already starting to darken; his bottom lip was split and bloodied; his nose was red and some blood was smeared a little on his cheek. His cheek was starting to bruise and he was breathing heavily.

"Are you OK?" she murmured, slowly sitting up on her knees.

Before anything else could be said, the crowd of students split right as a teacher and possibly the principal stormed in. When they saw Peter and Gemma kneeling on the ground, obviously injured, they shot their glares to the assailant.

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

Peter and Gemma told what happened to the teacher while the principal took the other student away. They were able to convince the teacher not to call their homes. What surprised Gemma the most was the story Peter told the teacher about what started the fight.

"I-I saw Ty bothering her this morning," Peter said, his voice small and a little high pitched. "Uhm...I, uh, I didn't want to see her getting bothered. Then he came up to me and started calling me names a-and..."

"It's not Peter's fault," Gemma said, stepping in. "I don't know what kind of vendetta this Ty kid has with him, but Peter was being nice to me. Please don't get him in trouble."

"And what about _you_ , Ms. Ricci?" the teacher asked, her hands on her hips.

"What _about_ me?"

"What was your involvement in the fight?"

Gemma shook her head. "I didn't _have_ any involvement," she said. "The only reason I stepped in was because I couldn't stand seeing that happen. Peter doesn't deserve this, and if any of you cared at all, you'd do something to change it."

Peter looked at Gemma wide-eyed at that statement. He felt his heart skip a beat a little. No one had really said that about him before. Sure, Ned would say a few things to make him feel better should he get beaten up, but Ned was his friend, he expected that. But Gemma...she was the new kid, she didn't know anything about the bullying Peter had faced. He wasn't the most popular or good looking kid in school, he accepted that a long time ago, but he'd never really had anyone stand up for him before.

"Neither of you are in trouble," the teacher sighed. "Ty Duchannes will certainly be facing the consequences for his actions." The two kids nodded in return. "Now, are you both going to be fine going home? Are you _sure_ I shouldn't call someone?"

"We'll be fine, Mrs. Fredrickson," Peter exclaimed. "Really."

With a nod, Mrs. Fredrickson headed back into the building.

Letting out a breath, Gemma turned to look at Peter. He was shifting anxiously on his feet, his gaze not quite meeting hers. Gemma took that opportunity to look at Peter's face more closely, considering there were no distractions. The bruises were a dark red at that point, already showing signs of turning purple at the edges. The black-eye was already pretty dark, and the blood that had come from Peter's nose had crusted a bit. His split lip was swollen and red, but it looked like it was still bleeding some. His nose looked a little swollen, too.

"I should have some tissues in my backpack," Gemma sighed, taking her backpack off to find said item. "We can go to a bathroom or whatever and wipe the blood off your face."

"Y-You, uhm, you didn't have to jump in like that," Peter said, his voice borderline whispering.

Looking up at him, Gemma frowned. "Why? I couldn't let him hurt you," she said. "It's not right."

"He...He _hit_ you!" Peter motioned to the possible bruise making an appearance on Gemma's cheek.

"I know," she replied, pulling a small packet of tissues out of her bag. She stood up and slung her backpack over her shoulders. "But I couldn't let him hurt you. It wasn't right." She stepped closer to him to take a closer look at the injuries and she faintly saw a blush come on his cheeks. "Do you want to do this here or at your place?" she asked.

"I-I...," he stammered. "I-I think my place would be fine."

"Let's go," she said.

With a nod, Peter and Gemma started walking back to Peter's apartment.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Holy _poop_ this chapter's long! Is it good or is it meh? I'll always welcome constructive criticism. Let me know if I get the characters wrong, let me know if I need to add or take out details! I love having ideas and support from reviewers so I understand what to do for future updates.**

 **Unfortunately, I own nothing in MARVEL.**

 **If you have ideas for subplots or OCs, don't hesitate to let me know. PM me or leave a review on your ideas and I'll add them in as quickly as possible.**

 **Let me know if there's anything I should improve on.**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	5. Chapter 5

_It's the terror of knowing_  
 _What this world is about_  
 _Watching some good friends_  
 _Screaming, "Let me out!"_  
 _Tomorrow gets me higher_  
 _Pressure on people - people on streets_

-Under Pressure; **by Queen [feat. David Bowie]**

* * *

A majority of the walk to Peter's apartment was quiet. Gemma could sense a bit of uneasiness coming from Peter, and she couldn't really blame him. Part of her still felt awful for having to see him get beaten up over something as silly as sticking up for her! In all honesty, she never witnessed something as petty as that. But she had to admit, it took a lot of guts for Peter to do what he did for her, considering the kind of person Ty seemed to be. She _definitely_ owed him one.

When they turned a block, Peter started walking down a staircase that led to the subway. Gemma's eyes widened a bit, she hadn't really been one to take the subway; in her old neighborhood, she just walked to wherever she needed to go. Izabela didn't have any troubles with that, and Gemma was appreciative of it.

"Have you taken the subway before?" Peter asked, looking back at her for a second.

"I haven't," Gemma responded.

"It's not that bad," he sighed. "It's a bit crowded though."

"Is it a long walk to your place after that?"

Peter shrugged. "We'll probably have to take a transit," he sighed. "It'll be another couple blocks before we make it to my apartment."

After getting what they needed to get and waited for the next shuttle to show up. There were a few other people waiting nearby, some sitting on benches, others scattered about on phones or talking to the people around them. Peter and Gemma stood relatively close together, but didn't say much. Gemma had to wonder if Peter even _wanted_ her coming with him, and a feeling of guilt washed over her again.

Looking over at him, she could see he seemed to be a little dazed, and she had to wonder if it was because of what happened.

"How're you feeling?" she asked.

When he looked at her, he felt an anxiousness wash over him. He could see her cheek had become a bit swollen, and the redness had started darkening to a purplish color. He couldn't really look at her without feeling awful. "I'll be fine," he murmured.

Tearing off some tissue, Gemma handed it to him. "I probably should've given you some earlier," she sighed. "It's for your lip. It looks like it's still bleeding a little."

Peter's eyes went to her extended hand, and he felt his cheeks heat up a little. He knew she was trying to be helpful, and he appreciated it, but there was a part of him that felt embarrassed that she was trying to help him. He hadn't expected the day to end the way it did, and he wanted nothing more than to just go home and sleep it all away.

Taking the tissue from Gemma's hand, he pressed it against his stinging lip, wincing slightly at the pressure he put on it. He knew he'd be feeling like crap in the morning, but he could only hope it was nothing compared to how he was feeling at the moment.

"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble," Gemma said, shifting anxiously on her feet. "If I'd known this would've happened...I don't know. I'm sorry."*

"You didn't do anything," Peter exclaimed, snapping his head in her direction. "It's not your fault."

"I'm pretty much responsible for what happened to you," she sighed, frowning deeply. "I feel like crap because of it. Now you'll probably hate me for it."

Shaking his head, Peter felt his brows furrow. "I don't hate you," he said quietly. "I think you're nice."

Giving a small smile, Gemma looked over at Peter, who looked almost sheepish at what he'd said. He wouldn't exactly meet her eyes and there was something in her that stirred at his embarrassment. It was kind of funny, seeing him get all flustered.

Before the conversation could go any further, the shuttle came to a screeching halt. The doors opened and a stream of people flowed out.

 _ **0-0-0-0**_

Peter had been right about it being crowded. Gemma had found herself nearly pressed awkwardly against the pole she was holding onto, while she was surrounded by men, women, and children of varying ages. Peter seemed unbothered by the whole ordeal, almost looking comfortable. Gemma was anything _but_ comfortable. She never took public transportation before, so it was weird having to be practically _shoved_ in so close with other people.

Taking an opportunity to look around, Gemma saw people reading books, newspapers, or magazines; she saw people eating food while on their phones; some kids were playing with toys; some people were just listening to music. They looked uninterested in what was going on around them. Sometime during the ride even _Peter_ managed to put in earbuds to drown out some of the outside noise. Gemma took a mental note to bring something with her to keep her distracted in case she ever took the subway again.

During the many stops the shuttle took, Gemma watched as hordes of people would leave and even bigger crowds of people would swarm in. Sometimes the crowdedness seemed overwhelming and Gemma would feel almost claustrophobic, other times there'd be enough room for Gemma to maybe angle herself in a more comfortable position until the next stop came. After about twenty minutes, Peter motioned her off at one of the stops, where she followed him up out of the subway and they waited at a transit stop.

"I know I promised to show you around," Peter sighed, "and maybe we can do it another time?"

Gemma felt herself unconsciously smile at that. He was still offering to show her around. She had to wonder why Peter Parker was such a nice kid. "I wouldn't mind that," she said, glancing over at him. "Maybe this weekend? Unless you're busy. You could bring your friend, too. He seems nice."

"Ned?" Peter chuckled. "He's cool. I'm sure he'd love to help show you around. And I'm not busy this weekend. I'm OK with it if you are."

"That's good with me," she said. "Thank you for being so nice to me today. I appreciate it."

"No problem," he exclaimed, stammering a little.

"So...transits and subways?" Gemma said. "Is this a daily thing with you?"

Peter nodded. "My aunt works in the mornings so this is the quickest way to get to school," he said. "I don't have a permit or license yet, so..."

Nodding, Gemma shrugged. "I've never taken a subway or transit before, so this is all pretty new to me," she sighed.

"Once you've taken it enough, you get used to it."

"Back in my old home, I just walked everywhere," Gemma said. "My mom didn't have any problem with me doing that."

"What about your dad?"

"...He wasn't really involved." While it wasn't a _complete_ lie, Gemma knew she wasn't entirely read to go on explaining her entire life story to Peter yet. Despite his kindness and his generosity, Gemma still had some limitations on how much information on herself she wanted to tell.

Peter just nodded, knowing not to say anything more.

They stood there without saying much of anything else for a while, and once the transit came, they both boarded, paid their fees, and took a seat.

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

Peter felt himself growing more embarrassed they close he and Gemma got to his apartment. It was, for lack of a better word, a mess. He remembered there were some dirty dishes in the sink, the dinner table he and May ate at was a bit filthy, Peter's room was _very_ filthy — the list could go on. But he only hoped that Gemma wouldn't go so far as to say anything about it. Sometimes he and May just didn't find the time or didn't have the energy to go on a cleaning spree. Aside from embarrassment at the filthiness of his little home, Peter also felt a little embarrassed at the idea that he'd be bringing home a girl he barely knew. May wouldn't be there, she'd be at work — or, at least getting _off_ work at that point. Peter took a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm himself down.

"Here we are," he said, chuckling nervously; the duo stopped in front of the closed door of Peter's apartment. He saw Gemma give a small smile. Giving a nervous one in return, he took out his key and unlocked the door.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **This one's shorter compared to the other one, but what do you guys think? I'd really like to hear whatever suggestions you guys may have on how to improve this story. I like to think that the involvement of the reviewers make a story better; that's one of the reasons why I ask you guys these questions. Just let me know, OK?**

 **MARVEL doesn't belong to me.**

 **Let me know if there's anything I should improve on.**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	6. Chapter 6

_Street lights glisten on the boulevard_  
 _And cold nights make staying alert so hard_  
 _For heaven's sake, keep me awake so I won't be caught off guard_  
 _Clearly I am a passerby but I'll find a place to stay_  
 _Dear pacific day, won't you take me away?_

-Rainbow Veins; **by Owl City**

* * *

When Peter opened the front door, he quickly went in and held the door open for Gemma to follow suit. She looked around, looking more curious than judgmental at the obvious lack of cleanliness. For Gemma, she didn't mind the fact that it wasn't immaculate, the way it looked gave it the feeling of a home. When she saw Peter close the door, he looked at her anxiously for a moment.

"My aunt won't be home for a while," he said, taking off his shoes. "Are you thirsty? Hungry?"

Mirroring Peter in taking off her shoes, Gemma bit her bottom lip as she quickly thought over the questions. "Maybe water?" she said, sounding unsure.

Nodding, Peter went into the apartment's kitchen to get some water. Gemma stood near the doorway awkwardly, unsure on how to proceed. She had gone to Peter's in hopes of treating the injuries he got during the fight; but now that she was at his home, she felt kind of uncomfortable and less sure than when she was at the school. But she also knew that she didn't want Peter getting any kind of infection from any open wounds; she'd feel _awful_ if she left him in a condition like that.

When he came back, holding a glass of water, he motioned Gemma over to where the living area was. "Sorry it's such a mess," he stammered. "I-If I'd known what was going to happen..."

"It's fine," Gemma responded. "Uhm...thanks for the water." Giving a quick nod, he handed it to her before sitting down on the sofa. Gemma followed suit not long after. "Do you have a first aid kit?" she asked. Getting up, Peter went to retrieve the first aid kit. That meant Gemma had a moment to gather herself and calm her zapping nerves. Biting her bottom lip, Gemma could already imagine what Remy would say _and_ do once he figured out what happened. The _last_ thing Gemma wanted was for Remy to get the wrong idea about what had happened. She didn't want him looking at Peter wrong, but chances were he'd look at Peter as part of the problem. Letting out a sigh, Gemma rubbed her forehead in frustration.

"Are you OK?" Peter's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Looking over at him, Gemma saw how his shoulders were slouched, his brows knitted together in concern. In his hands was a white box, obviously the first aid.

"I'm OK," she said, forcing a smile; the action causing her cheek to ache a little. "Just a, uh, headache."

Peter's face scrunched up a little, turning into a grimace. "I-I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Why don't we focus on you, huh?" Gemma suggested. "Wouldn't feel right to leave you like that."

Handing her the first aid, Peter sat down and waited for her to get to work.

 _ **0-0-0-0**_

If he were going to be completely honest with himself, Peter had to admit it was a bit fascinating watching Gemma effortlessly get out what she needed to help him. And he also had to admit it was a bit heartwarming to know that a complete stranger like Gemma, the new kid at his school, would help _him_ out without a second thought. Peter still couldn't believe that someone managed to stand up for him; it wasn't really common for someone to do that. On very rare occasions would a teacher step in before the situation got too out of hand, but never a student. _Especially_ a freshman. Peter had to give Gemma credit — she had guts.

When Gemma got all the materials she needed, she motioned Peter to get himself comfortable for her to work on him.

"There's not a lot of disinfectant in here," she said, "but I think there's enough for your lip."

"Thank you for doing this," Peter said, leaning forward just enough to help Gemma out. She didn't respond, but she did look up at him for a moment before she poured a little disinfectant onto a cotton ball. Dabbing his lip gently, she tried watched his every movement, in case she hurt him in any way. Peter's split lip had all but stopped bleeding, which she was relieved for.

"How does your nose feel?" she asked, dipping another cotton ball into the glass of water to wipe away the blood on his cheek.

"It's a little sore," he responded.

"Does it feel broken?"

"I-I don't think so."

Gemma hummed before responding. "I'd go see a doctor, just in case," she said.

"How do you know so much on this stuff?"

"My brothers got into some fights, one of them broke his nose more than once. I used to help them patch up, too, so..." Gemma shrugged. "I've seen him crack it back into place before. It's gross."

Peter's lips pursed. "How many brothers do you have?" he asked.

"Three." Furrowing her brows, she gave him a look. "You keep talking and your lip will split open again."

Silence fell between the two while Gemma worked on wiping the blood off of Peter's face. It wasn't as awkward between the two as it initially had been; and Peter didn't really mean for it to be so awkward between them. Sometimes he wished he was confident enough to be around other people, that it wasn't so _hard_ for him. A good chunk of him was envious of those who could easily and _effortlessly_ talk and be around others; who could make friends without so much as lifting a finger. Peter, on the other hand, could hardly talk to anyone without stuttering and had a hard time focusing on what he really wanted to get across. Ned, his only friend at Midtown, seemed to balance out Peter's awkwardness with his enthusiasm, which was probably why they were such good friends.

 _Gemma_ , on the other hand, was a little different than Ned, obviously. She didn't share Ned's enthusiasm, she was more introverted, from what Peter could see. Though he had to admit it was because she was new to the area; she was probably still adjusting.

Aside from all that, though, Peter couldn't help but take in a few of Gemma's physical features as well. Gemma had to be a few inches shorter than him, and he wasn't very tall. Her hair was a light brown, styled as a messy bob, the tips of her hair curling slightly while her bangs were swept to the side. Gemma's eyes were a mixture of brown and green and he noticed freckles dotting across her nose and cheeks. He hadn't noticed the freckles before, probably because he wasn't really paying much attention.

"I'm done." Snapping out of his trance, Peter blinked a few times before noticing that Gemma was looking at him funny. "You'll probably need ice," she said, "to help ease the swelling and bruising. And I'd still go see a doctor for your nose, just to play it safe."

"Thanks," Peter mumbled.

"No problem," she said. Once she had returned everything to the first aid kit and closed it, she looked over at Peter for a bit. The bruises had definitely darkened, but he looked a little better without the blood on his face. "So...I should probably get going, then?" she said, laughing nervously.

"Y-You don't have to," Peter exclaimed. "We could hang out for a little bit and then I'll walk you home."

Thinking it over, Gemma let out a sigh before nodding. Maybe it'll give her a chance to get to know Peter better.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Sorry for the wait on this chapter and how poorly written it turned out. I tried making it as interesting as possible, but I was running on fumes. Leave any thoughts you've got.**

 **MARVEL's not mine.**

 **So, I may be a bit late to this, but, from what I have read, some comic-con/expo or whatever played a footage for what we should expect in the INFINITY WAR movie. The footage itself hasn't been released onto the interwebs, and I don't know if or when it will be, but there are some descriptions on what the footage showed on some websites. I dunno. I thought that was something worth sharing.**

 **I digress.**

 **Let me know if there's anything I should improve on.**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	7. Chapter 7

_Well, it's nice to meet you, sir_  
 _I guess I'll go,_  
 _I best be on my way out_  
 _You treat me just like another stranger_  
 _Well, it's nice to meet you, sir_  
 _I guess I'll go,_  
 _I best be on my way out_

-Ignorance; **by Paramore**

* * *

Peter got some food out, knowing that Gemma may be hungry; though she was probably not going to admit it. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable, since _Gemma's_ discomfort was starting to radiate off her in waves. Peter had hopes that, maybe, he'd be able to get to know Gemma more, be the kind of person she could go to in case she ever needed something. Considering she was new to the area, Peter felt like he wanted to look out for her, at least. Especially after what she did for him.

"So you live with just your aunt?" Gemma asked, taking a small bite out of a piece of microwaved pizza.

Peter nodded, taking a bite out of a slice of pizza he had. "She's the only family I have," he said.

Gemma looked at Peter for a moment. He was avoiding her gaze, and she didn't blame him. He had said something very personal, and it didn't take a lot of effort to hear the emotion underlying his words.

"Is she nice?" she asked, hoping to lighten the mood just a little.

"She's really nice," he answered immediately, his mouth full of pizza. "She's feisty, though."

"My mom can be like that, too," Gemma said. "But that's only when she's really tested."

Peter looked at Gemma with an arched brow. "What's your mom like?" he asked, taking another bite of his pizza.

Shrugging, Gemma placed her partially eaten pizza on the plate Peter had given her, putting that on the table near the sofa. "She's pretty reserved at the best of times," she said. "But she does her best, which I think is amazing."

"What about your dad?" Peter asked, taking another bite of his pizza.

Scoffing, Gemma grabbed her slice and finished eating it. Even the thought of her father brought a bitter taste in her mouth; though she knew that Peter's question was just as innocent as Ines' had been. He was curious, and she wouldn't put it past him to want more info.

"He is currently out of the picture," she muttered, wiping her greasy hands on her pants. "Not like it'd matter much anyway."

"You guys don't get along?"

"Let's just say he preferred his new wife over us."

A slight grimace came across Peter's face. Crossing her arms over her chest, Gemma leaned back on the sofa with a huff. She only met her father's new wife once, and that was during the divorce hearings. She was _way_ younger than Izabela; younger, prettier, and probably a little smug from what Gemma could tell. After the divorce was finalized, and Izabela gained sole custody of the kids, Leonard's at-the-time girlfriend was more than pleased with the result. She was even _happier_ when the judge ruled Izabela and the kids move out, leaving the house and most of the furniture in Leonard's care. Needless to say, Gemma noticed how her father and his girlfriend gave each other a big hug and kiss once everything had been signed and official. Not even two weeks later, Gemma found out her father and the girlfriend married from her Aunt Tonia.

"That sucks," Peter grumbled.

Gemma nodded in response. "It's no big deal now," she said. "We're doing fine where we're at."

"Well, I think you'll like it here." Peter's mouth was, once again, filled with pizza when he said that. Gemma's nose scrunched up a bit in disgust.

"I hope so," she sighed. "The only friend I have right now is one of the girls in my bio class."

"I-I wouldn't mind being your friend," Peter exclaimed, stumbling over his words. "I, uh...W-Well, only if you'd like it. I just...I thought..."

"That's fine, Peter," Gemma said, smiling a little. "I appreciate it. If you want to, you can be. I was kind of hoping since you were the first person to be nice to me."

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

Gemma had to admit, she had just as much of a good time eating microwaved pizza with Peter as she probably would've getting a tour of the area. There was an obvious _natural_ awkwardness about Peter that Gemma thought was kind of funny at best. His generosity seemed genuine and he was more than willing to help others, even if he was in a huge disadvantage. Gemma found all those traits to be great qualities.

After three and a half months of not really going out to socialize with anyone, Gemma _finally_ managed to nab two friends on her first day of school. That had to be some kind of record for her, right? It was impressive! Maybe she'd tell Ines about it at class the next day.

Taking out her phone, Gemma checked the time. She'd been at Peter's for well over two hours, and she knew that Remy would more than likely be worried sick. The thought made her roll her eyes. It was bad enough she started thinking about all the things Remy would do once he found out what happened to her at school, but the last thing she wanted was for him to be even _more_ worried sick.

"I should probably start heading out," she said. "My brother'll be pissing himself if I don't come home soon."

"I'll walk you back," he said. "It's the least I can do..."

"Are you sure?" Gemma asked.

"Yeah," Peter stammered. "I honestly don't mind."

"Well that's very sweet of you, Peter, I appreciate it."

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **If you can excuse this short, poorly written chapter, I'd appreciate it. Nah, though, just let me know what you think, OK? I know this isn't my best, and it certainly isn't my longest, but whatever criticism you have on this is welcome. If I'm getting the canon characters wrong, let me know; if you think I could put in some more detail, let me know; whatever it is, just tell me and I'll add it in/fix it as quickly as possible.**

 **MARVEL isn't mine.**

 **Do you have an OC or a subplot you'd like added into the story? Don't hesitate to leave a review or PM me. I'll add it in as quickly as possible.**

 **Let me know if there's anything I should improve on.**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	8. Chapter 8

_Maybe I'm foolish_  
 _Maybe I'm blind_  
 _Thinking I can see through this_  
 _And see what's behind_  
 _Got no way to prove it_  
 _So maybe I'm blind_  
 _But I'm only human after all_  
 _I'm only human after all_  
 _Don't put your blame on me_  
 _Don't put your blame on me_

-Human; **by Rag'n'Bone Man**

* * *

Generously taking the dishes away and putting them in the sink, Peter told Gemma to wait by the front door. Gemma did just that, putting her tennis shoes on and slinging her backpack over her shoulders. Once Peter came to the front door, he gave Gemma a small smile before throwing on his shoes. When the duo left the apartment, Peter made sure to lock the door before leading Gemma down the stairway and out the front doors of the building.

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

Peter looked over at Gemma while they walked. He noticed the bruise on her face looked darker than normal. His stomach twisted painfully at the sight; he didn't want to be reminded of what happened to her, but he couldn't help but glance at it from time to time. He had to wonder how Gemma's family would react to seeing that. No doubt they'd be pointing fingers at _him_. Certainly if Gemma's family saw the way Peter's face looked, or maybe even tried listening to him, there'd be some kind of understanding on what really went down.

 _'Didn't she say she has three brothers, though?'_ Peter thought. He felt his heart jump in his throat. Three brothers who could also, very easily in Peter's opinion, beat his ass into the ground. If he couldn't stand a chance against Ty Duchannes, how was he supposed to handle defending himself against three angry brothers? It wouldn't matter if they were older or younger, they'd probably beat him half to death and not even feel bad. Not only that, but if Gemma's mother was as feisty as Gemma said she could be, then there'd probably be encouragement from her and a few choice words added in, as well.

The idea of having Gemma's entire family out to get him sent chills up his spine. He didn't want to be seen as _bad_ ; he never did a single bad thing in his life! Peter was pretty under the radar at the best of times at Midtown; if you could minus all the bad encounters he had with Flash and his goonies, that is. It's just...Peter didn't naturally attract any bad people to him, he was relatively invisible. For some reason, though, there were some people at Midtown — mainly Flash and his goonies — who took advantage of Peter's awkwardness, of his seemingly inability to truly stand up for _himself_. In Peter's eyes, he didn't really see a reason to stick up for himself. He didn't have any kind of upper body strength, so any physical attacks he'd attempt would be — for lack of a better word — pathetic. Laughable. It might stall his opponent, but not for very long. Not only that, but Peter also lacked height; which for some people might think to be an advantage, but in Peter's case, he didn't look at it that way.

He could run, not super fast, but he _could_ hope to outrun his opponent. It's the thought that counts, right?

If Peter could manage to explain that to Gemma's family, then hopefully there'd be some kind of mutual understanding that Gemma didn't get hurt _by_ him, but trying to _protect_ him. Seeing how Gemma was a pretty sensible person for the most part, her mother and brothers had to have the same level of sensibility, right?

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

Gemma _dreaded_ the idea of having Peter taking her home. The closer they got to her apartment building, the more she felt anxious and afraid. There was not a doubt in her mind that Remy would lose his mind the _second_ he saw the bruise on her face. And, unfortunately, that meant any ill-feelings that would arise would be aimed at Peter. Peter Parker was the one Gemma spent the afternoon with; he was the one who was supposed to give her a quick tour — Peter had been responsible for her. Having Peter endure her eldest brother's wrath seemed unfair, and she'd try to stick up for him the best she could, but she could only do so much.

After they got off the subway, which Gemma eventually learned had a stop pretty close to her apartment building, she got off with Peter in tow. The duo hardly spoke a word since leaving Peter's home, and Gemma had to wonder where that semi-comfortable Peter Parker had gone. Was it because he was in public he became so quiet? Or was it because of her? When she glanced over at him, she could tell he was thinking _very_ deeply. He almost looked lost inside his own head.

"What's up?" Gemma asked, hoping to snap him out of his trancelike state. When his gaze went to hers, her brows furrowed. "You look like you're thinking pretty hard there."

"I-I'm fine," he stammered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

A deep frown settled on Gemma's face. From what she could gather on Peter, he was quite awkward and shy, but he seemed to be more sociable when he became comfortable. She chose not to press more on the matter.

Turning a block, Gemma saw her apartment building, looming over them, looking rather intimidating. She could see Peter shifting on his feet out of the corner of her eye. Was he nervous? He _had_ to be.

"I can go from here," she said. "I appreciate you getting me this far."

"Are you sure?"

Nodding, Gemma looked at Peter with a somewhat forced smile. "Don't worry," she exclaimed, "I'll be just fine, OK? You got me to my building, which I should thank you for."

"It's, uh, it's no big deal," he said, lowering his head to hide a sheepish smile. "So...we can hang out again sometime, right?"

"Yeah, you still owe me that tour."

Letting out a somewhat anxious chuckle, Peter nodded.

"Maybe I'll see you at school tomorrow," Gemma said, giving Peter an informal goodbye wave.

"See you around."

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

Gemma chose to take the stairs to her apartment instead of the elevator. Generally, Gemma was quite lazy and liked taking the elevator; but she wanted to take as much time as possible getting home. The journey to her building with Peter seemed relatively quick, something she wasn't too pleased with. If Gemma could help it, she would've requested they take longer getting back, but Gemma knew, deep down, Remy and Izabela would go bat-shit crazy if she wasn't home sooner or later. Jai and Titus would also have their fair share of freaking out, but they were more reserved with their emotions, not allowing themselves to become completely overwhelmed.

Sighing, Gemma stopped on the landing of the second story; only one more flight of stairs to go before she was on her floor. What would happen when she got inside? The bruise would probably be the first thing that's noticed. If that would be the case, then Gemma knew she'd be in a whole lot of trouble. The only reason she convinced Peter she could go on by herself was because she didn't want him being exposed to her pissed off family. Peter was really nice, and she didn't want him being scared off.

 _'Mom will go crazy and Remy'll be out for blood,'_ she thought, feeling her stomach knot up painfully. _'There's no telling what either of them will do, which is terrifying.'_

It really was terrifying. Gemma had no idea what her mother and brother would say, do, _or_ react. Remy may go down to the high school and hunt down Peter himself. Izabela may go calling everyone she knows to figure out who _'Peter Parker'_ was. It would turn into a big mess of things.

 _'There's gotta be something to stop them from going nuts...,'_ a small voice in the back of her head whispered. _'You've just made friends with Peter, and it'd be a shame for that to be taken away so quickly. He's pretty nice, too, isn't he?'_

Swallowing thickly, Gemma tried finding some decent solution to her seemingly overwhelming problem.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **What do YOU guys think will happen? How should Remy and Izabela react? We've seen Izabela at least once so far in this story, but we haven't seen Remy yet. Tell me your thoughts on all this! Constructive criticism is always welcome.**

 **MARVEL isn't mine.**

 **I may be a bit late to this, but I heard MARVEL released a trailer for their INHUMANS T.V. show. I haven't seen the trailer, but is it good? Is it bad? I've heard the interweb's been roasting it, so I can only gather a lot of people don't like it. Tell me your thoughts on that!**

 **Before I wrap this author's note up, I feel like I have a solid idea on how Gemma's Inhuman powers will be activated! I won't give anything away, so don't worry about spoilers or anything. Also, as a few of you reviewers are probably speculating or wondering, Peter doesn't have his spidey powers yet. He's still an ordinary kid. I feel like I have a good way to incorporate how he got his spider powers, though I'm not sure if it's necessary to add it into this story. What do you guys think? I know I'm probably asking a lot of you guys, but I want to understand your views on all this!**

 ** _(Also, how many of you who're DOCTOR WHO fans heard that the 13th Doctor is going to be a woman, or at least rumored to be a woman? I find it to be interesting, since they had the Master being a woman during Peter Capaldi's time. I've heard that a female Doctor has received a lot of negative backlash. But if they can have a female Master — or the Mistress, I think she's called_** _ **— then they can at least give a female Doctor a chance. It sounds pretty interesting to me, though I have no idea who the actress is who's possibly going to be playing 13. Anywho, if you've got something to say on that then go ahead and leave a review!)**_

 **Let me know if there's anything I should improve on.**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	9. Chapter 9

_"Run, you clever boy. And remember."_

-Oswin Oswald; **from Doctor Who (2012)**

* * *

The reactions were _exactly_ what Gemma expected. Remy went into a full-on fury, shouting and stomping and cursing. Needless to say, Gemma was _very_ happy she convinced Peter to leave when she did; if he had come up with her to her apartment. . . .the thought made her shudder. Even Jai and Titus had gotten a bit intimidated by Remy's outburst. Gemma tried her best to calm him down, hoping the neighbors hadn't called the cops; though she'd understand if they did.

"How can you tell me to calm down?" Remy snapped. His eyes were nearly bulging out of his head, his face the deepest shade of red Gemma had ever seen. Veins were popping out of Remy's forehead and Gemma was _positive_ all the veins, muscles, and arteries in Remy's neck would snap and cave in from the amount of stress they were under.

"If you'd just _shut up_ and _listen_ then you'd know what really happened!" Gemma barked. "And keep your voice down! Do you _want_ the police to come here!?"

It took some time, but Remy finally managed to calm himself down, his face was still a deep red, and the veins on his forehead were still prominent. Gemma could tell he was _itching_ to do something — hit, punch, kick, scream, _whatever_ — but he was holding back. The sight of her eldest brother being so angry was terrifying, and Gemma could only hope that he didn't hold any long-lasting grudge against Peter, though she knew he would. Remy's ability to hold a grudge was a lifelong commitment in certain situations. Take his current ex-girlfriend and his former best friend. Remy's last girlfriend from Syracuse, a girl named Millie, had announced to Remy, before their breakup, she was pregnant. Remy had been surprised, considering the two only had sex twice, with Remy using protection both times and Millie swearing she was on the pill.

Unfortunately, Remy found out the hard way that not only was the baby not his, but it was his best friend's. He had gone over to Millie's place, not long before Leonard's and Izabela's divorce had finalized, to tell his girlfriend what was going on with the divorce hearings.

Remy found Millie and his former friend, Vik, in the middle of having sex.

Names and accusations had been thrown around. Vik and Remy got into a physical altercation. Millie was an emotional wreck. That was when the truth came out about the baby not being Remy's, that she and Vik had secretly been seeing each other since the beginning of Millie's relationship with Remy. The breakup put a sour taste in Remy's throat, and when he got home that afternoon, he'd destroyed his room in a fit of nearly uncontrollable rage. It was impossible to get him out of his anger, so everyone waited until he wore himself out. Last anyone heard, Millie and Vik ended up dating, but Millie suffered a miscarriage. Whatever happened to their romance afterwards remains unknown.

Remy never forgave Millie or Vik for betraying him like that. And, from what Gemma understood, he'd hold that grudge, that unwillingness to forgive, until the day he died.

"I'm waiting," he seethed. Titus and Jai were standing not far off to the side, looking between Gemma and Remy anxiously. Obviously they were curious on what happened to their sister, but they weren't expressing it as violently as Remy was.

"There were some kid who was beating Peter up," Gemma said, "I stepped in and the kid punched me in the face. It was not, in any way at all, Peter's fault."

"That's it?" Remy exclaimed, his arms crossing his chest. "Some kid was beating up _Peter_ and you decided to jump in?"

"What do you expect I do?" she snapped. "Just let him get hurt? That's not fair to him. He's a good person."

"You just met him today!"

"So? He stuck up for me at school and he got beat up for it. That should count for something."

In that moment, Gemma _swore_ she saw Remy's expression soften, but she couldn't say for sure. The flicker in his emotion seemed to last for a split second before turning back into that anger-fueled one. Gemma might as well given up at that point.

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

By the time Peter made it back to his apartment, he noticed that the television had been turned on and there was some clatter in the kitchen. His heart dropped — May was home. As much as he loved his aunt, he couldn't stand seeing her get worked up over seeing him in such an awful condition. May knew about the bullying, and she did her best to help Peter through whatever problems were going on, but there were some things Peter felt were way out of May's control.

Throwing off his shoes, he let out a sigh as he tried to prepare himself for May's onslaught of questions and worries.

"Pete? Is that you?" she called.

"Yeah," he answered, his voice squeaked a bit.

"Hey, I was getting worried," she said, walking out of the kitchen. "I called Ned's place and. . . ." There was a long pause as she looked at his face. Peter knew there'd be no getting out of what she was going to do next, and a part of him wished the ground would just swallow him whole at that moment. "What. . . .?" she stammered. "Peter, what on Earth happened?"

Shrugging slightly, Peter shifted from foot to foot, not exactly meeting May's gaze. "It's nothing," he exclaimed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You don't need to worry about it."

"Peter, you're all cut up and bruised," May exclaimed, waving at him. Her eyes were wide and an exasperated look was on her face. "Look, I know you don't really like talking about it, but you've gotta tell me when there's something wrong. I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

A sinking feeling mixed in with a heavy sensation of guilt. May was the only family Peter had left. And after what happened with Uncle Ben — the feelings were still pretty raw, and it hadn't even been a year yet. Peter saw how May did her best to stay strong, to be the best support Peter had; he didn't like seeing her get worked up, he didn't like seeing her get worried or anxious or even a little bothered over anything. That was the main reason he hated her seeing him like that. It made him feel weak and vulnerable and. . . .incapable of taking care of anything.

What he wouldn't give to be strong enough to take care of himself.

"May, really, I'm fine," Peter said, trying to casually brush it off. "I'll be OK. Don't worry."

"That's the problem," she sighed, "I'm always _going_ to worry. I'm taking care of you, Peter, and I feel like I'm doing a bad job sometimes. . . ."

Before she could say anything else, Peter went over and gave May a hug. He knew there were moments where she doubted herself. He didn't blame her, honestly. Uncle Ben and Aunt May never had the opportunity to have children, or maybe they just didn't _want_ children, but when Peter came to live with them, he became the closest thing to a son they'd ever have. In the time he spent with them, Peter tried to show as much appreciation for everything Ben and May had done — giving him a place to live, sending him to a decent school, and being so supportive of him. Even after Ben's death, Peter tried finding ways to be appreciative of the things he did. It was the closest he could get to remembering him and honoring him.

"You do more than enough, May," Peter said, his voice soft. "Don't ever think otherwise."

When he felt May's arms wrap around him, Peter relaxed. He always tried his best to ease May's worries.

"C'mon," she sighed, "let's get you cleaned up."

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Not a super long chapter, but I hope you guys enjoyed it anyway. If you've got constructive criticism, don't hesitate to let me know, OK? I think it's great when people tell me things I can improve on!**

 **The day I own anything in MARVEL will be the day pigs fly.**

 **So...a new trailer for the third THOR movie has been released. To be completely honest, I've never really been a big fan on the THOR movies, I thought they were a little boring. But after looking at the first two trailers for RAGNAROK, I have to say I'm pretty excited. It kinda reminds me of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY in a way** **— maybe with the music they've played for the trailers and all the bright colors and 80s-ish style? I don't know. That's how I see it, at least. I also love Mark Ruffalo's version on Bruce Banner, so I'm probably just happy to see him and Thor actually interacting together.**

 **Did I also mention the trailer preview for INFINITY WAR at a SAN DIEGO COMIC CON panel? I don't know. If I didn't, the MARVEL crew, along with some of the actors and actresses from the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, showed a trailer on what INFINITY WAR's gonna be about. From what I know, no clips have been officially released on the interwebs, though there's been some leaks that have been taken down. I guess INFINITY WAR's gonna be super violent? Maybe it's because they're fighting Thanos? I just hope Thanos doesn't hurt Bucky or Spidey? Or Falcon?!**

 ***takes a deep breath* My little nerdy moment is over.**

 **Like I mentioned above, constructive criticism is always welcome! I'll also have no problem adding in subplots or OCs, if you guys have any suggestions you'd like to give. Stuff like that is always welcome!**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	10. Chapter 10

_"And if I stay, oh, I don't know,_

 _There'll be so much that I'll have to let go,_

 _You'll be disappearing all the time,_

 _But I still see you in the light,_

 _For you, the shadows fight,_

 _And it's beautiful but there's that tug in the sight...,"_

-Wish That You Were Here; **by Florence and the Machine**

* * *

Peter tried convincing May that he didn't need his wounds cleaned, that he already had it taken care of before May had come home. That didn't seem to matter, though. She wanted to help, and she had convinced Peter to sit down and allow her to clean his wounds, regardless if they had been cleaned beforehand. So, as he sat on the sofa while May put whatever medication she had available on the open wounds.

"Are you at least going to tell me his name?" she asked, looking at Peter; a hint of concern in her voice.

"It's no one," Peter said. "It's not important, May, really."

Snorting, May gave him a look of disbelief before shaking her head. "I don't understand why you let this happen," she sighed. "You're a good kid, Peter, you shouldn't be getting yourself into situations like this."

Peter's only response was a simple shrug of his shoulders. He understood May's concerns, and he appreciated it; sometimes he just couldn't help being the loser of the school. Because of his low status on the popularity chart, he was prone to being picked on, to being beaten up. It wasn't anything he wasn't used to. But he'd do his best to stay out of trouble, at least to ease May's worries.

 ** _0-0-0-0_**

Gemma wasn't sure why she even bothered. She tried explaining — on _multiple_ occasions — why Peter was, in fact, a good person. She told Remy how Peter stood up for her against that creep Ty; she told Remy how Peter had been more concerned about _her_ wellbeing than he was his own; she tried explaining how Peter protected her to the best of his abilities. Peter Parker wasn't a bad person, maybe someone with bad _luck_ , but he certainly couldn't be a bad person.

That didn't seem to matter to Remy, though. Despite the multiple times Gemma explained the situation and the outcomes to him, it only seemed to fuel his irrational behavior and caused him to dislike Peter even more. Gemma did not imagine her first day of school ending the day it did.

After storming into her bedroom, Gemma slammed her door shut and locked it. Letting out a frustrated groan, Gemma buried her face in her hands, trying to find a way to calm herself down. She wanted to understand where Remy was coming from, but he could be so _over-the-top_ that it was _impossible_ to try and relate with him. Gemma just couldn't understand why Remy wouldn't take the time to calm down and listen to what she was saying. She _tried_ _to_ _stop_ the fighting between Peter and Ty, not instigate it or get involved in any way. Peter didn't do anything that resulted in Gemma being pulled into the fight, she went in hoping to stop anyone — particularly Peter — from getting hurt.

Sitting down on the floor, with her back against her bed, Gemma let out a sigh. All she wanted was for everything to run smoothly, and she had to figure out a way to ensure that, hopefully, her new year in Queens wouldn't be filled with unnecessary drama. But would it really be that easy?

 _ **0-0-0-0**_

It was a couple hours later when Remy decided to come to Gemma. She had only left her room a small handful of times; to shower and change into her pajamas and to occasionally get something to eat. Titus and Jai had come to her frequently throughout the remainder of the afternoon and evening to spend time with her, and while Gemma enjoyed their company, she didn't really want to be bothered. Jai and Titus were smart and figured it out quickly, leaving their only sister to herself while she tried to come to an understanding on everything that had happened.

A thought that really stuck out was how Izabela would react to Gemma's injury. Certainly Remy would say something, maybe get a little overdramatic, and get their mother all worked up. Gemma didn't want her mother to get worried about her, that was the _last_ thing she wanted! Izabela was so determined to have her and her kids live as normally as possible, and Gemma would feel terrible if she ruined it in any way.

Burying her face in her hands, Gemma tried figuring out a way to stop herself from overthinking. That had been a bad habit of hers; whenever she was stressed or anxious or uncertain about something, she tended to overthink it, and that only made the situation worse. She wanted to support her mother somehow, to let her know that living in Queens wouldn't be as bad as she was making it, but Gemma wasn't the best at adapting. Izabela understood Gemma's difficulties when it came to change, and she tried her best to make her daughter as comfortable as possible, but Gemma did have a streak of making things difficult for those around her in situations like that. Looking back at it, she found herself feeling guilty for anyone who had to go through that.

Before Gemma could find herself wallowing in even more self-pity, there was a knock on her door.

"Gemmy?" Remy's voice came through the closed door. His tone was soft, unlike previously where he was furious out of his mind. "Can I come in? Please?"

There was a long silence, and some contemplation on whether or not she wanted Remy in her room. She was still frustrated with him, she didn't want to really see him, but she was curious on what he had to say.

"What do you want?" she called.

"Am I able to come in?" he asked.

"No."

"Look, I'm sorry for how I acted earlier," he announced. "I didn't mean to get you upset. I was worried."

"You were out of control."

"How was I _supposed_ to react?" Remy exclaimed. "You've got a bruise on your face and you expect me to be OK with it?"

"I expect you to at least understand what I'm trying to tell you," Gemma snapped. "Not get overly-emotional by it."

There was a heavy silence, and Gemma had to wonder if what she said insulted Remy in any way. Maybe it did, but would she really care? Probably not. Give the way he acted earlier, she was tired of having to deal with him.

"I'm trying to look out for everyone," Remy sighed. "What else am I supposed to do?"

"You're not dad, Remy," she exclaimed. "You don't need to act all big and tough; like you're the head of the household."

Hearing a sigh from the other end of the door, Gemma hoped what she said was enough to get Remy to leave. Part of her believed that her eldest brother should stop acting as if he was the one in charge, he had power over everyone. It was one thing to be concerned about the family, and another to blow every little thing that happened out of proportion.

Brushing some of her hair out of her face, Gemma leaned her head against the side of her bed. Maybe waiting until their mother came home would be for the best.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **A shorter, very poorly written chapter. Tell me what you guys think, OK? Let me know what you guys think of this chapter. Give some constructive criticism.**

 **Nothing in the MARVEL franchise belongs to me. All I own are my characters and the subplots I write in.**

 **If you guys have any ideas on OCs or subplots, don't hesitate to let me know, OK? Leave a review or PM me your ideas and suggestions.**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	11. Chapter 11

_"The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don't always spoil the good things or make them unimportant. And we definitely added to his pile of good things."_

-11th Doctor; **from Doctor Who (2010)**

* * *

From the second Izabela Ricci stepped foot into the apartment, she knew there was something off. There was a certain tension that she couldn't quite put her finger on, and she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Not to mention it was unusually quiet. Since moving into the apartment, there was a certain level of noise that Izabela would hear before she even walked in, and the quietness made her very uncomfortable. It made her wonder what exactly happened before she came home. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Izabela put her purse and some of her groceries near the front door, so she'd at least be able to close and lock it behind her. Picking up her groceries, she went into the kitchen and saw Titus and Jai sitting at the small dining room table, murmuring to themselves with their homework scattered around them.

"Hey boys," she said, placing the bags on the small counter. "How's everything?"

"Everything's fine," Titus said, his tone dismissive. That usually meant _nothing_ was fine. Whenever Titus became dismissive, that would mean something _did_ happen and he was trying to find a way to cope with it. And given the look on Jai's face, the sharp look he gave Titus, that only solidified Izabela's hunch.

"Where's Remy and Gemma?" she asked.

The two brothers shared a look before Jai spoke up. "Gem's in her room," he responded. "I think Remy's in our room." The apartment itself wasn't the biggest, and that meant some of the Ricci siblings had to share living quarters. Jai and Remy shared a room, Gemma got her own room _(even though she did tell her mother she didn't mind sharing with anyone)_ , and Titus slept on a pull-out sofa. The living arrangements weren't the best, but it was the best Izabela could offer until she had enough money saved for a nice home.

"Did something happen?" While Izabela didn't like interrogating her kids, she knew that they wouldn't tell her anything unless she pried it from them.

Titus simply shrugged, ignoring the second sharp look Jai gave him. "Remy and Gemma got into a fight," Jai sighed, "they're not in a good mood."

Sighing, Izabela hung her head. All she wanted was for a sense of normalcy for her and her kids, and if her kids were going to be misbehaving, then it would be difficult to adjust to a better life. Gemma's attitude to Queens was already proving to be difficult, and even though Remy was adjusting well to the new living arrangements, he could come off a bit strong sometimes when it came to certain things.

"Could you guys put the groceries away, please?" Izabela asked. "I'd appreciate it."

The brothers nodded as they watched their mother go find their siblings.

 _ **~8~**_

Queens, New York, hadn't been Izabela's first choice after the divorce. She wanted to stay somewhere close by, but considering her children were feeling such hostile emotions toward their father, and Izabela wasn't going to lie, she felt hostility towards her ex-husband, too, that she decided further was better. Syracuse had always been the Ricci family's home, and it was sad to leave it behind, but it was for the best.

Being a single mother of four kids wasn't easy; it wasn't glamorous or amazing. It was tiring and left Izabela wondering if she was even doing a good job as a mother. How could she be expected to raise four kids alone? How was she supposed to help pay the rent, even if she got some assistance? All Izabela wanted was for everything to work out, she wanted her kids to appreciate everything she did for them, she wanted things to at least _feel_ normal. Maybe it was asking too much. It had only been a couple months since the divorce's finalization, so maybe expecting normalcy almost immediately was just too much to be expected.

Going into Remy's room first, Izabela knocked on the closed door. "Rem? Can I come in?" she called. There was a long silence before the door opened. Remy looked sullen and a bit pale, his eyes cast downward. "Titus and Jai said you and Gemma had a disagreement on something?"

"It was just a fight," he sighed, "it's nothing."

"It can't be nothing," Izabela said. "Listen, I can understand you guys not agreeing on things every now and again, but this has to be bad. What is it, Remy?"

There was a long silence before Remy said anything again. "Gemma got into something at school," he sighed. "She tried to explain it to me but I wouldn't listen. She...She got mad at me."

Izabela's blood ran cold. Gemma _'got into something'_? She hadn't been notified about anything, so it couldn't have been anything major, right? Then again, just because a school official didn't notify Izabela didn't mean it wasn't major. Sighing, she buried her face in her hands.

Maybe asking for normalcy _was_ too much.

 ** _~8~_**

Gemma sat on her bed while she scrolled through her phone. She had gone on her various social media sites in hopes of keeping herself distracted. Remy hadn't attempted to communicate with her after their final spout, and Gemma was happy with that. Her eldest brother could really put her in a fowl mood, and sometimes she needed to just _get_ _away_ from him. It wasn't that hard, right? But when she heard the apartment door open, that was when a sense of dread filled Gemma's body. Her mother was home.

Had Izabela talked to Remy yet? Undoubtedly, she probably did. He probably started throwing everything out of proportion, telling Izabela all these over exaggerations about what Gemma tried to explain. Though no one was raising their voice, so had Remy _really_ started his over exaggerated campaign? What about Titus or Jai? They heard the entire argument, would _they_ say something? Sighing, Gemma tossed her phone on her bed, uninterested in the device. Everything had been going so smoothly, why did everything always have to go south?

 _Tomorrow'll be better,_ she thought. _Don't worry about what happens today, OK? It's not important anymore. Once tomorrow rolls around, you'll be able to really enjoy being at your new school with your new friends._

The positive thoughts — that were, evidently, a bit forced — were helping calm Gemma's nerves; but she was still a bit on edge about what her mother would say and do. Would she be mad at Peter? Or would she focus her attention on the one who actually _hit_ her? Remy's attention remained on Peter, blaming _him_ for the bruise on Gemma's cheek. Peter had done nothing wrong, and Gemma would continue sticking up for him until Remy cam to an understanding. But, looking back at it, knowing that their mother was now home, Gemma came to the realization that she'd probably have to convince Izabela on Peter's innocence, as well.

Scowling slightly, Gemma let out a frustrated growl. Of all the days for things to go absolutely wrong, it had to be her first day of school?

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **I can tell you, with absolute certainty, I hate this chapter. It's not my best, and I am honestly running on fumes. Summer quarter's almost done for me — I think I have a little less than two weeks?** **— and my brain is _FRIED_. And it's not even finals week yet. Nevertheless, I thought I'd give you guys a chapter; though I was hoping for something better.**

 **MCU isn't mine. I own my characters and my plot.**

 **Give constructive criticism where you think it's necessary. I'm all for hearing words of improvement!**

 **If there's an OC or a subplot you'd like added to the story, don't hesitate to let me know, OK? Leave a PM or drop a review and I'll add it in as soon as possible.**

Love. Fiction. 2017: _I'm glad you're liking how I write Peter. I thought I was writing him incorrectly, and that got me nervous. Hopefully I can continue writing him well, and I am hoping to improve Remy's character as the story progresses. Thank you for all your reviews, hope to hear from you again!_

Guest: _My understanding on Inhumans is that they are simply genetically altered humans. I went onto a MARVEL WIKI page, and what I read was that, from what I understand, the first Inhumans were created by the Kree maybe hundreds or thousands of years ago, and the only way for an Inhuman to acquire their powers is through Terrigenesis. Modern-day Inhumans are simply the descendants of the first Inhumans. And what I read about Terrigenesis, it's a transformation they go through once their Inhuman genes are activated. Terrigenesis is done when Inhumans are exposed to Terrigen Crystals. Again, I got this info from a MARVEL WIKI page, I only found out about them a while ago, and I thought it'd be interesting to write a story with the main character being Inhuman. I'm sure if you have access to the internet, you can just google it. Did I at least answer any questions you may have?_

TheUltimateBibliophile: _I've thought about how I may adjust Liz into the story, and while it's not 100% solid, I think I may have something to go on. I'm probably not going to be focusing on her a whole lot in this story, at least until I start writing the HOMECOMING sequel_ (yeah, it's a bit early to be thinking about sequels, but whatevs) _, if that makes any sense. I'll try to give Liz some moments in this story, either way. As for Gemma's powers, I know what I'm going to give her, it's just a matter of whether or not it'll fit her character well._

 **Before I wrap this up, for those of you who have more of an understanding on MARVEL's Inhumans _(not the upcoming show, just Inhumans in general)_ , PM me or leave a review on what you know on them. I only started hearing about them fairly recently, and I know that there is going to be a television series based solely on Inhumans and that AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. has heavily involved Inhumans into their storylines. I don't watch AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., so I don't know how they write them into the show. And I don't really know if I'll be watching that INHUMANS show, either. I might, just out of curiosity. Anywho, I think you get the idea with this.**

 **One thing I did find interesting was** TheUltimateBibliophile **'s review on how Liz would be adjusted in my interpretation of SPIDER-MAN. Like I mentioned, I am not 100% solid on how I'll have her character written, but I have at least an idea on how it'll go down. For anyone who's seen HOMECOMING, you guys know how things go with Peter and Liz, but this is a Peter/OC story. How do you think things would go down between the two? She's not going to be playing such a major role in this story, so I won't be adding anything major in just yet. I'm just curios on what you guys think.**

 **Let me know if there's anything I should improve on.**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	12. Chapter 12

_"A Caterpie may change into a Butterfree, but the heart that beats inside remains the same."_

-Brock; **from Pokémon**

* * *

When Izabela stood in front of her daughter's bedroom door, she let out a sigh. Izabela had hoped that Gemma would've had a good day at school, but it seemed as though things were going to be a bit more difficult. It seemed as though Gemma was doing fine that morning; for the most part, that is. How could everything go downhill so fast? It was bad enough Izabela had to pull a double shift at her work, but having to deal with her kids fighting and something happening to Gemma at school? That had to be a record for shitty things to happen in one day.

Knocking on Gemma's door, Izabela waited patiently for her daughter to answer. When no response came, Izabela knocked again. Just like before, there was no answer.

"Gemmy, if you don't open the door right now...," Izabela didn't get the opportunity to finish before Gemma opened the door. The first thing Izabela saw was the scowling face of her youngest child, then the raging bruise on Gemma's cheek. A sense of anger and confusion washed over Izabela. There was a bruise — a goddamn _bruise_ — on Gemma's face. It looked horrible, and it made Izabela's motherly instincts go haywire. "What in the hell..."

"It's nothing," Gemma muttered, her eyes not meeting her mother's.

"What the hell happened?" Izabela's voice was sharp and almost venomous. "Gemma Nicole, if you don't tell me what happened today, I swear..."

"There was a fight, OK?" she exclaimed. "It's not a big deal!"

"Of _course_ it's a big deal!" Izabela snapped. "You've got a bruise on your face! And a big one, at that. Jesus, Gemma, what did you _do_?"

" _I_ didn't do anything!" Gemma barked. "It was someone else. You're acting _just_ like Remy."

"What's that supposed to mean? Did Remy do something?"

"You're jumping to conclusions! I didn't do anything."

"Then what happened?!"

"I was trying to _stop_ a fight, not _start_ one! God, why can't anyone ever let me _explain_ before they throw around accusations!?"

Izabela pinched the bridge of her nose. "You've gotten into fights before, Gemma," she said firmly. "Sorry if I find it a little hard to believe."

"Then why the hell are you here?"

Izabela's eyes went to Gemma with a sharpness the young girl wasn't expecting. Gemma never witness the amount of anger in her mother's eyes before, and if she had the opportunity to take what she said back, she would've. The irritation and frustration she had over no one listening to what she had to say — top if off with her mother not wanting to believe what Gemma had to say — was starting to become too much, and Gemma was _certain_ she was about to snap. But seeing that look in Izabela's eyes...it was something else entirely. A shiver of _fear_ ran up her spine, and that wasn't something she was used to.

"Why am _I_ here?" Izabela said, her voice eerily calm. " _I'm_ here because your scum of the Earth father didn't want you or your brothers. _I'm_ here because I still love my children and I want what's best for them. _I'm here_ because, even though I'm stressed out of my _goddamn mind_ , I'm still doing my best to keep us all together! I'm still here because who else is going to take care of you? Your aunts or uncles? Your grandparents?! None of them even came by to see how we were doing after the divorce! _My_ parents didn't even see how we were doing! Neither did my sisters!" Tears formed in Izabela's eyes, her voice had since elevated into a shout, wavering almost violently. "No one came to us offering us a place to stay 'cause they don't care," Izabela barked. " _I_ care! That's why I'm working so hard and trying to get you through that nice school and save money for Remy to get through college and for Jai and Titus to get through college, if they go..."

Before she could ramble on any more, Izabela was interrupted by a hug. Gemma had wrapped her arms around her mother's middle, hoping it'd be enough to calm her down. Gemma partially understood the sacrifices her mother made after the divorce, she just didn't see the full extent of it. For the entirety of the divorce proceedings, Izabela maintained a calm front, not wanting to let anyone know just how devastated she was.* Leo and Izabela Ricci had been highschool sweethearts, said to have been the only couple in their school who'd make it in the world. When word of the affair broke out...that had been the single worst thing Izabela had ever gone through. She had seen her own parents' marriage fall apart for so many reasons, so when she married Leo, she wanted it to go as nicely as possible; even more-so once the kids were born.

Gemma didn't see the full extent of her mother's suffering because her mother did such a good job at hiding it. She couldn't understand the emotional and psychological stress being a single mother of four had to be doing. Not only that, but working full-time and trying to save enough money for bills, rent, education — how could anyone handle that? Even _with_ help from Remy?

Izabela returned the hug almost immediately, burying her face into Gemma's hair. In that moment, Gemma promised that she'd do better to help out. She wasn't going to let her mother down anymore.

 _ **~8~**_

The week seemed to roll on in a very uneventful manner. After Izabela's outburst, Gemma was on her best behavior. She did all her chores, even helping out with things without ever being asked. It helped ease some of the stress Izabela was feeling, but there was still a noticeable tension radiating off her. Not only that, but Jai and Titus were doing more to help out. With Remy working, too, he didn't get very many opportunities to stick around the apartment as often as the younger siblings did; though he tried to help around the apartment as much as possible.

By the time Friday rolled around, Gemma had managed to avoid any other confrontations, maintaining consistency — or as consistent as she could get — in her new classes. Ines and Peter had been very helpful with her, allowing her to spend time in their homes respectively if she had any questions. Since Peter's apartment was closer to Gemma's than Ines' neighborhood, which was in a suburban part of Queens, Gemma tended to spend most of her time with Peter after school. The two had become very good friends, with Gemma managing to befriend Ned, as well. When homework wasn't involved, the three would occasionally watch movie marathons — mostly _Star Wars_ and _Harry Potter_ — with Gemma, every now again, managing to let them watch _Star Trek_ (the old television series, not really the movies).

Peter complained about Gemma's choice of entertainment, but her and Ned just found it hilarious.

In all honesty, Gemma really enjoyed spending time with Peter. Not that Ines wasn't nice to spend time with, but Peter was very sweet and patient. With almost any question or uncertainty Gemma displayed, Peter seemed to have an endless amount of patience. It was refreshing, and Gemma thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him.

When Gemma wasn't spending time with Ned and Peter, she was spending time with Ines. Ines' family was relatively well known in the area, coming from a nice Italian/English family who owned a popular shop in their area. Gemma found Ines' father, Charley, to be extremely warm and comforting, something that seemed rather nice. Considering Gemma's father wasn't involved in her life, it seemed like Charley was a kind of surrogate of sorts, but Gemma didn't want to jump the gun.

After school on Friday, Gemma and Ines were walking out of the school together, with Peter saying he was going to meet his aunt somewhere and Ned had to stay after school for make-up work.

"Are you excited about the OsCorp field trip?" Ines asked. "It's going to be the biggest field trip of the year."

Gemma shrugged. "It's pretty exciting I guess," she said. "I've never even seen OsCorp."

Ines' eyes widened some. "Seriously?" she said. When Gemma nodded, Ines let out a huff. "Well, I think you'll like it."

"I hope so."

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **This isn't my best chapter, but I hope you guys like it. I just couldn't seem to find a good area to write this story, since everyone in my family decided they wanted to be loud and obnoxious at the same time. But if you've got constructive criticism, don't hesitate to let me know, OK? I'd appreciate it a lot.**

 **MARVEL doesn't belong to me.**

 **If you've got an OC or a subplot you want added to the story, don't hesitate to let me know. PM me or leave a review.**

 **I'm in the beginning of finals week, so it'll be a bit since I'll update another chapter. Also, I should probably be studying...so I'll wrap this author's note up.**

 **Thanks.**

 **Jasper**


	13. Chapter 13

_"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."_

-Marilyn Monroe

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **First off, I am SO sorry it took so long for me to post anything. School and work have been a total bitch and I've been so overwhelmed that I completely forgot about this chapter until just now. I hope you guys can be understanding of that. If I post a chapter and it's been sometime before an ACTUAL chapter is up, then don't take it as me trying to troll you guys. I thought I could get a chapter in but I got sidetracked by more important things. So, to make up for the wait I put you guys through, I'm allowing you guys to give some truth on what you think of the story so far. It can be whatever you think needs improvement, what you think should be added - whatever! I don't care! My brain's totally fried.**

 **MCU isn't mine. I own my characters and the plots I put in.**

 **For any of you who've seen THOR: RAGNAROK, what'd you think of it? I thought it was very refreshing, compared to the first two THOR movies. Definitely funnier than I thought it'd be. Leave your thoughts on whether you liked it or not or if you're going to see it and you're excited.**

 **I'll wrap this up.**

 **Thanks guys.**

 **Jasper**


End file.
